Seeing the Sky
by Jacinda Valentine
Summary: After a five-year absence following O:ZT, Jubilee returns to the Xavier Institute. Some of her relationships with her former teammates are intact, but others are sorely in need of repair. Rated R for occasional profanity and mild sexuality.


Seeing the Sky  
  
Author's note: Wolverine, Jubilee, and all belong to Marvel Comics. Though I wish I was a creative genius, alas, I am not.  
  
Continuity: I like to start at the nice angsty point just after O:ZT as the end of Marvel and the start of my world. I'm making Jubes about 17 during O:ZT, and just short of 23 at the beginning of this fic. Gen-X has disbanded, and there never was an X-Corps. No Movieverse plots will be in this fic; it would make my eyes cross trying to keep ages straight.  
  
Weird talky-things: *blah blah blah* = psionic speech, :: blah blah blah :: = thought  
  
The title is from a Chinese proverb: " A frog in a well shaft seeing the sky." It might not make too much sense in the first chapter or two, but it will be worked in eventually. Feedback is highly welcomed and appreciated at fanficflunkie@hotmail.com .let me know what's good, what's bad, and what's uglier than Sabretooth's unwaxed bikini line. Any sites which wish to archive are welcomed, but I ask that you email me and let me know where and when you'd like to put it up. I reserve the right to politely decline to be archived if I don't feel the forum is appropriate.  
  
* Working out some formatting issues, I apologize for any mess!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Prologue  
  
The rhythmic thud of a sneakered foot against the peeling vinyl upholstery of the ancient cab wasn't as Zen as a feng shui-friendly rock fountain, but to the small woman huddled in the backseat, it was a comforting sound. She slouched low in the seat, staying as far away from the driver - whose choice of aftershave appeared to be skunk juice followed by a touch of cat urine - and going over her story for at least the fiftieth time since leaving the airport.  
  
:: I know I've been lousy about the whole keep-in-touch business. I've been good, though. Got a nice job right out of college.took a few pharmacology classes while I worked for the local hospital. I have a couple of certificates now, on top of the biochem degree. Who'd have thunk it, huh?::  
  
The small heart-shaped mouth twisted in a bitter scowl. Well, it wasn't a lie so far.  
  
:: There are a couple of people who knew how to get ahold of me if there was ever a really big emergency.y'know, just in case. ::  
  
"But not you, you big pointy-haired bastard," she muttered beneath her breath.  
  
:: So, yeah, I'm good. Worked out a whole bunch of issues, asserted my independence.all the standard coming-of-age junk, now I'm even more well- adjusted and socially enlightened than the last five minutes of a John Hughes movie. ::  
  
Aging brakes squealed loudly as the cab driver pulled up at the end of a large street identified by a nondescript sign as Greymalkin Lane. The sign cast a long, eerie shadow in the twilight, giving it the sort of looming presence that was generally reserved for bad horror movies. The cab driver craned his head around to stare at the woman, interrupting her from her internal monologue. "That'll be fifty-five forty. You sure you want me to let you off here?"  
  
Jubilation Lee's head snapped up just in time to receive the full brunt of the driver's garbage-dump breath in her face. Though her sinuses cried out in pain and begged for revenge, she managed to keep her face neutral as she dug into her pocket. "No, thanks. I'd rather have the walk." And the fresh air, limburger-lips.  
  
Four crisp twenties were thrust at the cab driver as she kicked open her door and leaned out, managing not to retch as she bent down to swap her battered Nikes for a pair of relatively well-maintained rollerblades. "Thanks for the ride, buddy. Keep the change, dinner's on me."  
  
The cab driver grunted, waiting only long enough until the sullen woman had grabbed her rucksack and slammed the door before he executed an incredibly poor u-turn and slammed his foot on the gas. Jubilee winced sympathetically as she watched the ancient Oldsmobile brake a foot away from a mailbox which was fortunately spared an untimely death. The cab driver's curses were audible as he attempted to re-gain his masculinity by peeling away, but the best the ancient car managed was a feeble sputter and a cloud of unhealthy black smoke from its tailpipe.  
  
"And Cyke used to freak out about my driving."  
  
She shook her head, sending a few strands of glossy back hair forward into her eyes. She blew them upward with an air of practiced annoyance, slinging the padded strap of the bulging rucksack over her right shoulder before she leaned down and began to make her way up the shadowy lane. She smiled wryly as she stumbled once before settling into an old, familiar rhythym which she knew would soon bring her to her destination.  
  
:: It's just like riding a stolen bike, Jubes.some things just stick, even when you do your damndest to forget that you ever knew them. ::  
  
All too soon she arrived in front of the massive gates which marked the formal entry into the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning.  
  
1407 Greymalkin Lane.  
  
Ice blue eyes stared intently at the neat lettering. Jubilee scowled crossly at the gates, skating back and forth across the end of the driveway in the best imitation of pacing that she could manage. She finally paused, gazing steadily at the small intercom box which she knew contained at least two video cameras. :: I'm already on Candid Camera, I might as well go in blazing as the special guest panelist. ::  
  
She cleared her throat and assumed the high-pitched tone she knew the computer would associate with her teenaged self. "Codename: Jubilee."  
  
The box beeped twice, prompting the pleasant automated response, "Password, please."  
  
Jubilee sighed forlornly. "Prada."  
  
A soft whirring filled the air as the gates swung open on their well-oiled hinges. A small light on the box beeped, and Jubilee knew it was capturing a photo of her face that would soon be transmitted to whoever was pulling the security shift. The box chirped once more, "Welcome home, Jubilation."  
  
"Shaddup before I paf you," she mumbled, adjusting her bag and beginning the trek up the drive.  
  
The front porch of the house was barely in sight before she was assaulted by a large shape bearing the faint scent of jellybeans. "You're home! You'rehomeyou'rehomeyou'rehomeyou'rehomehomehomehomeHOME!"  
  
"Jesus!" was all Jubilee managed before her footing wavered and she tumbled downward in a flurry of trench coat and rollerblades. A genuine smile curved onto her face as she caught a glimpse of her would-be assailant. "Hey, Drake.you're a sight for sore and jet-lagged eyes."  
  
Bobby Drake fell happily on top of her, still maintaining his patented death-grip bearhug around her waist. He gazed up at her with soulful blue eyes, and his lower lip jutted out in a pitiful pout. "You left me! BAD Jube! I had to think up ways to annoy Scott all by myself, and I didn't have anyone to blame when Hank's beer and Twinkies got up and walked away, and I won't even START on what sort of housemate Logan's been for the last five years."  
  
Jubilee's smile faded away as she shrugged quietly. "Yeah, well.had stuff to do. Had to get away from the whole grind.you had the number, though, right?"  
  
Bobby blinked, taken aback by the uncharacteristic seriousness of his favorite co-prankster. "But you threatened to cut off my baby-making parts if I ever used it in a non-emergency situation, and since every day is an emergency around here, I didn't know what sort of uber-urgent-emergency would warrant risking the loss of aforementioned baby-making parts."  
  
"I did, didn't I?" she asked, gently shoving the Iceman's ribs. "Now, get off and gimme a hand.you didn't let anyone else know I'm here yet, huh?"  
  
Bobby peered at her curiously as he obediently clambered to his feet and automatically reached out to heft the battered rucksack. "Lucky guess?"  
  
:: Nah, just proof that the Professor's little "latent telepathy" theory holds water.:: "Probably." She shrugged casually, leaning forward and continuing towards the mansion. "Seems quiet, even for a super-secret mutant educational facility."  
  
Nodding vigorously, Bobby gestured with his free hand towards the spacious manor as he jogged easily beside his friend. "Lots of moving around in the ranks. The Academy closed, so we've been shifting the up-and-comers around."  
  
Jubilee nodded slightly. "Yeah, I heard about that.sorta kept tabs."  
  
Bobby gasped aloud and clutched at his chest, dropping down to the pavement and writhing in mock agony. "Lo, what treachery is this? You kept a mysterious contact at Xavier's and IT WASN'T ME?!"  
  
Jubilee grinned in spite of herself and pointed her index finger at Bobby, sending a tiny quarter-sized multicolored bubble towards him. "Pow."  
  
Instinctively, Bobby scrabbled back out of the way of the innocent-looking blurb, not stopping until he'd placed a good ten feet of air between himself and the explosive. "Only back for five minutes, and I'm already getting paffed? Harrumph!"  
  
With a smirk, Jubilee snapped her fingers and the small plasma bubble popped with a faint hiss, leaving none of the usual scorch marks on the pavement. Bobby whistled, impressed. "Nice control. Been working on it, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. Lots of time." Jubilee gazed up towards the massive oak doors which greeted her, halting at the base of the marble steps. "I'm still not sure it was enough time, though.y'know?"  
  
All trace of the juvenile smirk disappeared from Bobby's face as he placed a warm hand upon Jubilee's shoulder. He frowned internally, noticing how thin she was - he could feel the sharp prod of her collarbone, even through her thick leather trenchcoat. "Hey.Jube.if you're not ready yet, you don't gotta go in. You say the word, and I'll do a quick don't-ask-don't-tell on the security sensors.and you were never here."  
  
Jubilee turned and gazed up at him, and he wanted to cry out as he noticed the change in her face. The eyes that used to be a vibrant, daring blue had a cautious and reserved gleam. Her face was thinner, and the long shoulderblade-length blunt cut she currently favoured made her glossy hair hang around her face like an ominous cloud. He meekly added, "But if you come in, I'll share the Labatt's and Ding-Dongs I pilfered from the super- secret mega-hidden minifridge Hank thinks I don't know again."  
  
After a moment, a slow smile spread across Jubilee's face as she nodded bravely. "If I die, I'll die the glorious death of a beer-snatcher."  
  
Squaring her small shoulders bravely, she slipped her hand into Bobby's and gripped it tightly as she turned her eyes to the opening doors. "'Sides, looks like it's too late to go back." 


End file.
